Movie Reviews

Low budget, but I loved it

J. Manzolli | 04/23/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Okay, first a word of warning: don't go looking for top-notch Hollywood production quality in this movie -- it's nowhere to be found in "Under One Roof". The script needs work; the editing leaves much to be desired; the acting is pretty bad; the music is even worse.And I loved it.Despite its technical flaws, I found myself wrapped up in the story pretty quickly, and by the time the end came along, I was grinning from ear to ear. "Under One Roof" may never win any production awards, but the story is solid and there are many great moments during the movie that had me laughing out loud.As I said earlier, don't look for A-list production quality. It's more like a film class project meets "The Real World" meets public access television meets soft core porn. Let me clarify that I don't say 'porn' because of the full-frontal nudity or the sex scenes -- they are almost always appropriate to the story in context (and the guys are cute!). Plus, I've seen MUCH more explict hetero sex scenes on network TV. I said 'porn' because that's what the acting and music quality reminded me of several times throughout the film.Despite the weak acting overall, however, there were some very real moments which struck a chord with me. When they happen they really stand out, at least to me.I gave it four stars and higly recommend it. If you overlook the technical shortcomings and approach it with an open mind, you'll find a touching little love story with quite a few laughs. I'll keep this one in my collection."

Sweet Romantic Comedy

david_jon | Glen Cove, NY USA | 04/02/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This movie answers the question: What would happen if a closeted gay guy should happen to fall in love with a tenant in his unsuspecting mother's house? This sweet movie, while far from being polished, is still very absorbing. I began watching this movie somewhat conscious of the fact that this was not a big production. As is the case with many low budget gay films it makes up for in story what it lacks in production value. About 10 minutes into the movie I found myself completely involved in the story and characters.Jay, a closeted young man, still lives with his mother and grandmother in San Francisco. While there are others who he is out to (his female best friend who his mother is desperately trying to set him up with, and his very out gay best friend who keeps trying to set him up with anything that moves)he keeps his sexuality a secret from his mother who he feels would not approve. That is until the day his mother rents their basement apartment to Robert, an adorable gay guy, and things start to immediately heat up.Should he risk losing his mother's approval on what could be true love...or risk losing the man of his dreams?"

Not great -- but fun

Dennis! | Washington, DC USA | 05/14/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I can't disagree with others that this wasn't a great movie. It's certainly low-budget, not well directed or edited, and decidedly amateurish. But it's entertaining and fun, and maybe hits a few chords just a little too close to home.Daniel, the perfect Asian son, lives with his widowed mom and his grandmother in San Francisco, as filial Asian boys tend to be expected to. Also in the vein of the perfect son, he can't come out to his family, and his mom relentlessly keeps trying to set him up with women.The family rents out the downstairs room, however, and a cute boarder (Robert) shows up to take the place. Sure enough, the two slowly but surely get together....This movie is not totally about Daniel and Robert's budding romance. Well, it is, but there's more to it than that. The magic of the movie is the family's reaction, Daniel's newfound priorities, and how Robert's unassuming yet formidable role in each. It's the standard stuff the coming-out flicks are made of, but hey, it always manages to tug at the heartstrings, right? We've all been there before, or know someone who has.... or at least we all know how difficult it is to stand up against unreasonable expectations.So yeah, everything about this DVD just screamed "so-so"... but it's still worth a viewing. Oh, and because this IS a DVD, after all... don't forget to take advantage of the special features, including the Director's Commentary cut. Some interesting tidbits in there."

Wonderful story and the white hunk is awesome

Q | Cambridge, MA United States | 05/02/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I went to the store, picked up "Under One Roof" and noticed on the back cover that it received all sorts of awards. I was surprised about this because I did not recall reading many enthusiastic reviews on Amazon about this movie. Well, I was just too curious to let this go so I went a head and took the movie home thinking "hec, this movie cannot be a true disaster because it received many reputable awards". I raced to my bedroom, closed the door, dimmed the lights, took a deep breath, got really comfortable, turned on my portable DVD player, and quietly watched the movie. Well, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Yes, the acting and dialogues were quite stiff and most of the technical aspects of the film needed much rework. For some strange reasons, perhaps it was due in part to this amateurishness that gave the film some of its youthful, inexperienced charm. Anyway, I think the film does have a convincing story line - witty, touching, and sexy. Give the movie a try. You will be surprised."